Rail-brace.



E. M. SMITH.

RAIL BRAGE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 11, 1908.

909,954, Patented Jan. 19,1909,

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E. M. SMITH.

RAIL BRACE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 11. 1908. 909,954. Patented Jan. 19, 1909.

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2 266565, en/501", 7 I ({f/(l/j/M @7113 7 /7 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

EDGAR 1W1. SMITH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO QUINCY, MANCHESTER, SARGENT GOM- PANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,

A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

RAIL-BRA CE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 19, 1909.

Application filed. March 11, 1908. Serial No. 420,319.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDGAR M. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, county of New York, State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Rail-Braces, and declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to devices for bracing railroad rails and has for its object to simplify and improve the construction of the same.

The various features of novelty whereby my invention is characterized will be pointed out with particularity in the appended claims, but, for a full understanding of my invention and its object and advantages, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a brace showing it in operative relation to a rail, the rail being indicated in dotted lines; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the brace; Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 33 of Fig. 2; and Fig. l is a front elevation.

Generally speaking, my invention comprises a single piece brace made up of a base member a portion of which is adapted to lie in the plane of the base of a rail and another portion of which is offset so as to overlie and rest upon the rail base, a column rising from the base member and adapted to fit under the head of the rail, and a series of strengthening ribs or webs extending from the sides and rear of the column to the base member.

In the drawings the base mei'nber A of the brace consists of a flat plate-like portion A and an offset portion A These parts are so proportioned that the part A overlies and rests upon the top of the base of a rail, preferably engaging at its front end with the rail web, while the bottom surface of the part A lies in the plane of the under-surface of the rail base. A spike opening a is provided in the part A and a pair of spike openings a are located on opposite sides of the base at the junction between the two portions of the base. Rising from the base is a column B cast .integral therewith and consisting preferably of a comparatively thin rear wall I), similar side walls I), and a top wall Z)". The rear wall is preferably inclined in the vertical direction. The front of the column is preferably left open since a wall at this point would add very little to the strength of the device. The front edges of the side walls are preferably cut away as at b so as to leave the brace clear of the web of the rail throughout the greater portion of the depth of the web. At the edge between the wall I) and the top wall I) there is formed an upwardly extending shoulder I), this shoulder being produced either by means of a rib or by extending the rear wall slightly beyond the top wall.

C is a deep narrow rib extending from the shoulder down the middle of the rear wall of the column. Before reaching the bottom of the column this rib is divided into two diverging ribs 0, c which continue to the base member.

C, C, are a pair of deep ribs or webs extending from the ends of the shoulder 5 down the side walls of the column to the base member. These ribs are preferably inclined rearwardly, the rearward inclination increasing toward the outer edges thereof.

It will be seen that all of the parts may be made comparatively thin so that the device as a whole is comparatively light while at the same time all of the metal which is employed is distributed in such a manner that great rigidity and strength is secured. My improved brace can therefore be manufactured at a low cost without detracting from its effectiveness in performing the functions intended.

While I have described in detail and with particularity a single preferred embodiment of my invention, I do not desire to be limited to the exact arrangement and proportions of parts illustrated and described, since in its broader aspects my invention may take other forms as will be evident from the terms employed in the definitions constituting the appended claims.

Having now fully described my invention,

what Iclaimas new and desire to secure by.

Letters Patent is:

1. In a rail brace, a base member comprisiug a portion adapted to lie in the plane or the base of a rail and an ofi'set portion adapted to rest upon the top of the rail base, a hollow column rising from the base and adapted to fit under the head of the rail, and a rib extending from each side wall and the rear wall of the column to points in'the base member removed from the bottom of the column.

2. In a rail brace, a base member comprising a portion adapted to lie in the plane of the base of a rail and an offsetportion adapted to rest upon the top of the rail base, ahollow column rising from the base and adapted to fit under the head of the rail, a

rib extending outward from the rear wall of the column to the base, and a pair of ribs extending diagonally from points within the side walls of the column to the base member.

3. In a rail brace, a base member comprising a portion adapted to lie in the plane of the base of a rail and an offset portion adapted to rest upon the top of the rail base, a column rising from the said base member and adapted to fit underthehead of the rail, a shoulder on said column for engaging with the side of the rail head, a rib extending from each end of said shoulder down the side of the column to the base member,

edges of the ribs being farther removed from the rail than the inner portion, anda third rib extending partway down the rear wall. of the column and terminating in a pair of diverging ribs which continue to the base member. 7

In testimony whereof, I, sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

' EDGAR M. SMITH.

Witnesses:

J. A. BODKIN, C. H. NEsTLnR. 

